Abstract
The article reflects the introduction of direct presidential election in Czech Republic. Based on Elgie's concept of semi-presidentialism it argues that this sole constitutional reform changed czech governmental system from parliamentarism to semi-presidentialism.
Then following the premier-presidential concept developed by Shugart and Carey and Siaroff's method of measuring presidential power it examines the dynamics of czech semi-presidentialism under its first representative, Miloš Zeman. It notes that Zeman immediately entered into cohabitation which he managed break after several months by appointing his former associate, Jiří Rusnok, as head of caretaker government.
This has been the most important but not only one of Zeman's acts as a president characterised by his activist approach based on his original unprecedented interpretation of vague text of czech constitution and legitimised by the amount of votes he received in direct election. Thus inside the newly established semi-presidential constitutional framework Zeman has established factual tradition in the behavior of czech president leading to a considerable degree of semi-presidential dynamics in czech governmental system.